


The Benefits of Competition

by lokithegodofsass



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Enemies to Lovers, Graduation, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I speak from experience, Kevin and Sam are the same age, M/M, Osric Chau has really soft hair, There should be a warning for "first time writing Sam as the protagonist", Valedictorians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-09
Updated: 2015-05-09
Packaged: 2018-03-29 17:25:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3904678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lokithegodofsass/pseuds/lokithegodofsass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kevin Tran was the reason why Sam would cram in an extra hour of studying or check out the extra book from the library for his paper</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Benefits of Competition

**Author's Note:**

> May not have been inspired by this week's Modern Family... I need to stop this

Sam Winchester had been dreaming about this meeting for his entire school career. Principal Adler had called for a parent meeting to discuss the graduation ceremony and, since his father didn't give a rat's ass about these things, Sam had begged Dean to put aside his ill feelings about the school and make an appearance.

Of course, he hadn't told Dean the purpose of the meeting. Mentioning the word valedictorian seemed to be a surefire way to make everything backfire.

"What are you smiling for?" Sam looked up to meet his brother's (rightfully) confused gaze. He understood that, from Dean's prospective, a phone call from Lawrence High demanding an immediate meeting with the school must have been a rather frightening experience. His own personal anecdotes would cause him to assume that Sam had been caught in the supply closet with some girl or a bottle of liquor in his hand. He knew Sam was smart, but valedictorian smart? That would be a shock to him.

"You'll see," Sam tried to wipe the smile from his face, to no avail.

"You haven't been smoking anything, have you?" Dean asked as he pulled back a chair and sat next to him. "Because you're eighteen now, Sammy. You could get in some deep shit if-"

"No, Dean, I wasn't," Sam rolled his eyes and brushed a stray hair away from his face. "It's a good meeting, I promise."

"God, it's so weird being back here," Dean mused as his eyes darted around the office. Sam started to fold his arms but dropped them and hopped to his feet rather ungracefully when he heard the door open.

"Hello, Principal A-" He paused when he realized that, no, it was not the balding Principal Adler that was staring up at him with his eyebrows furrowed together. It was Kevin Tran and Sam felt his entire world crash around him.

Kevin Tran was, for lack of a less juvenile term, Sam's arch nemesis. Everything from his perfectly ironed cotton collared shirts, to his thoughtful and innocent dark eyes, to his soft black hair got on Sam's last nerve. Sam was easily the brightest student of his age throughout elementary school and was used to getting top grades with ease, until Kevin and his mother moved to Kansas from their home in Neighbor, Michigan in the summer before sixth grade. Since then, the two boys were put in almost every single class together. Kevin and Sam would often have lively debates that took up the entire class period, much to the relief of the other students. Kevin Tran was the reason why Sam would cram in an extra hour of studying or check out the extra book from the library for his paper.

"Hi, Sam," Kevin said slowly, blinking his eyes in realization (Sam hated that Kevin was less confused than he was) before sitting down next to him. His mother, a rather stern looking woman in a flowery blouse, followed behind him and sized Sam and Dean up. Sam had over a foot on her, but an uneasy feeling still washed over him.

"What is he doing here?" Mrs. Tran hissed.

"What an excellent question, Linda," Mr. Adler stepped into his office and sat down at his desk. He and Dean shared a long look before he focused his attention back to the two students. "I'm just going to make this quick. Congratulations, you two are going to be co-valedictorians." Sam felt arms wrap around him and squeeze all the air out of his lungs and turned to look at the glee written across his brother's features, followed by the confusion that followed when he realized that he was the only one that seemed excited about this announcement.

"Wait, why do you all look like someone died?" Dean looked from Sam to the two Trans.

"Co-valedictorian?" Mrs. Tran demanded after the shock wore off. "That's not possible."

"Yeah, what do you mean by co?" Kevin asked after his mother rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Co is the Latin word for-"

"Yes, Sam, thank you," Kevin shook his head and looked back at his mother. Sam chanced a look at Dean, who looked incredibly proud of the fact that his little brother was such a smartass.

"If you look at the data," Mr. Adler turned his computer towards the group. Sam leaned over to read it, which meant that his face was inches away from Kevin's. He chanced a glance at him and saw that he was staring at his hands on his lap and that his face was ghostly pale. "You will find that their GPAs match perfectly."

"My Latin grade is better," Sam mumbled before pulling away from Kevin. Kevin took a moment to scan the screen, his face holding a neutral mask.

"My AP physics grade is better," Kevin countered. Sam scoffed and looked at the computer.

"You're in band, that's an easy A," Sam pointed to Kevin's schedule.

"And psychology is a challenging course?" Kevin raised an eyebrow.

"How are we going to solve this?" Mrs. Tran butted in. Sam glanced at Dean, who still seemed to be completely lost. Sam was sure that Dean hadn't been quiet for this long since he was a little kid.

"Solve what?" Mr. Adler looked puzzled.

"This dilemma," Mrs. Tran gestured between the two boys. "There is no need for more than one valedictorian. Should I send in Kevin's SAT scores? ACT? AP?"

"Wouldn't help Kevin much," Principal Adler shut down his computer. Sam shot a victorious look in Kevin's direction and reclined back in his seat. "There are no more exams or projects, but continue to work hard on the small assignments. The best of luck to both of you."

Sam didn't even spare Kevin a final look before standing up and walking out, a relieved Dean on his heel.

.

Sam was chewing on his eraser when he heard a soft knock on the door of their apartment. He wondered briefly if his dad was drunk again before standing up and opening the door.

Kevin Tran was standing at the door, once again the picture of perfection, and he seemed to have no idea how he got there.

"Kevin?" Sam asked as he met nervous brown eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Let me get this out, okay?" Kevin had an unfamiliar edge to his voice that didn't match up with his usual blend of earnest and smug.

"Okay?" Sam said slowly.

"I couldn't say this in front of my mom, but congratulations," Kevin's voice became more hushed. "And, if I'm not valedictorian, you definitely deserve it."

"Really?" Sam asked skeptically, scanning Kevin's face.

"You're smart, Sam," Kevin continued. "Really smart. You've made me push myself and you've made me into a better student. For that, I'm grateful."

"Wait," Sam grasped the door with his hand. "I thought you hated me."

"What gave you that idea?" Kevin asked, genuinely curious.

"I don't know," Sam started drumming the door with his fingers. "You're always countering all of my ideas."

"Oh," Kevin looked down at the floor, his cheeks flooding with color. Well, that was odd. "Um, I'm gonna have to do that again. I don't hate you. I've always liked you. Quite a bit."

"Are you wearing Graduation Goggles?" Sam asked, unable to keep the laughter out of his voice as his eyebrows shot up. "Do you realize how ridiculous you sound? We've never gotten along and suddenly you're showing up at my house, thanking me and saying that you like me?" Kevin looked at Sam for a long moment, and Sam was struck with how vulnerable he looked.  
Oh. Kevin just confessed to liking him and Sam laughed and called him ridiculous. When did he get to be so insensitive?

"I shouldn't have come," Kevin mumbled. "I'm sorry. I have to go study."

"Kevin, wait," Sam grabbed his arm, which was much more muscular than he had ever imagined. Kevin looked up at him, his gaze hardened.

"Let me go," Kevin nearly growled and Sam dropped his arm in shock. "All of the Trans have been valedictorians since my grandparents immigrated from Vietnam and I will be damned if I waste any more time with you when I could be studying. Do you know what my mom would say if she knew I was here, fraternizing with the enemy?"

"Come on," Sam said softly, but Kevin was already halfway to the elevator in the complex.

.

Sam had to admit, he preferred the old Kevin to this new one that constantly scribbled notes and refused to look in his direction.

He found himself watching Kevin more and admiring his idiosyncrasies. He would chew his lower lip and tap his eraser on his notebook as he analyzed a problem or play with the hem of his sleeve with gears spinning behind his eyes as he listened to a lecture. If he had any idea that Sam was spending more time studying him than deemed necessary, he didn't let on.  
The dismissal bell sounded shrilly and Sam, with his pre packed backpack, approached Kevin's desk. Kevin was still working away on his analysis worksheet and nearly jumped out of his skin when Sam tapped on his shoulder.

"We need to talk," Sam said firmly as Kevin met his eyes with a glare.

"About what?" Kevin asked coldly as he pushed away his bangs (again, Sam was struck by how shiny they were) and started to pack his bag.

"Someplace private?" Sam suggested. "I have it on good authority that the janitor's closet is easy to break into." Despite his best efforts, Kevin's cheeks turned a pinkish color. Sam found that making Kevin blush was more satisfying than winning one of their classroom debates.

"Good authority?" Kevin repeated. "Meaning your brother? Are you sure he wasn't trying to get you laid?"

"I can't think of anywhere else," Sam admitted.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Lawrence High's Brightest White Kid," Kevin mumbled under his breath before swinging his backpack over his shoulder. "What do you want, Sam?"

"Just come with me, alright?" Sam gave Kevin his best puppy dog eyes, the ones that would make Dean give him the last slice of pie, and Kevin sighed dramatically.

"Alright, fine," he looked at Sam with a softened look. "Lead the way."

It took a total of fifteen seconds to pick the janitor's lock, and Sam was endlessly amused by the sheer horror in Kevin's expression. Sam rolled his eyes and tugged Kevin inside before shutting the door.

"I don't dislike you," Sam blurted out. "You've helped me become a better student as well, and I'm sure that I wouldn't be going to Stanford with a full ride if you weren't here. It's trying to be better than you that really pushed me. And having you in my classes has been a blessing."

"Don't lie to me," Kevin folded his arms. "You don't owe me anything."

"I'm not saying this because I owe you," Sam stepped closer and rested a hand on Kevin's waist. Kevin looked down at his hand and froze. "I'm saying this because you're really something, Kev."

"Did you just call me Kev?" Kevin whispered.

"Guess I did," Sam leaned closer and Kevin tensed up.

"Sam," Kevin ducked his head away and Sam froze. "What are you doing?"

"You're a smart kid, Tran," Sam laughed and folded his hands together. "You haven't figured out that I like you too?"

"Why would you?" Kevin asked.

"Why wouldn't I?" Sam countered and Kevin looked at the floor.

"Have you looked in a mirror?" Kevin backed against the door. "You're tall. And you have a nice smile. Do you know how many-?"

"Shut up, for once in your life," Sam laughed, brushing his thumb over Kevin's lower lip. "Can you not contradict me? Just this once? Because I would kick your ass in this debate, okay?"

"I'm the better debater," Kevin said seriously. Sam rolled his eyes and gently pressed his lips against Kevin's, running his fingers through the hair that he had admired for years (and yes, it was softer than it looked). He felt Kevin's arms wrap around his neck as he rose to his tiptoes to get closer.

"Co-valedictorians?" Sam asked, forcing himself to pull away slightly. Kevin rolled his eyes and pulled him back.

"It's your turn to shut up now," he stated before continuing the kiss.

.

"I've always been a little jealous of you," Sam confessed the afternoon before graduation. Kevin's head was resting against his arm as they watched the history channel. Kevin furrowed his eyebrows and sat up. "My dad really doesn't care about my education and my brother's too busy working three jobs to really be there like he used to. Even when he was around, he wasn't much help. Sure, Dean will be proud if I'm valedictorian but he doesn't get it. You're lucky to be surrounded by people who actually care."

"You met my mom, didn't you?" Kevin cracked a smile. Seeing him with a genuine smile was such a rare opportunity that Sam had to marvel at how gorgeous he was. "Being valedictorian isn't an accomplishment in my family; it's an expectation. You know my first word was Princeton?"

"You're kidding," Sam laughed. Kevin shook his head and leaned against Sam's arm again.

"I wish I was," he signed as Sam threaded his fingers through his hair. "Valedictorian came pretty soon after, once I got a hang of the pronunciation."

"I can just imagine a cute little baby you trying to pronounce valedictorian," Sam laughed, kissing the top of his head softly. Kevin tilted his head up and caught Sam's lips, holding his head still with a firm hand. Sam leaned into the kiss until Kevin was lying back on the couch and Sam was hovering over him. His hand popped open Kevin's top two buttons hesitantly before they reached for the hem of his shirt.

"You will never believe the shitty day I just had at work!" The door slammed shut and Sam quickly broke the kiss. He sat up to face Dean, who was facing him with a raised eyebrow. Sam felt his heart sink to his stomach, wondering what was floating through Dean's head at that moment. "Gross. Take your gay make out session somewhere that my ass doesn't touch."

"Real classy, Dean," Sam mumbled. "I'm sorry. I can't imagine you'd want to find out this way."

"Find out what?" Dean asked.

"That I like boys," Sam looked at Kevin, who was determined not to meet either of their eyes.

"Dude, you've had such a hard on for this kid for years," Dean chuckled. Sam gaped at him. "Kevin got 0.02% higher on the biology exam! Kevin is taking Channing Ngo to prom! You never shut up about him, it was annoying. If I had anything to say, I would've said it by now. Besides, it's not like I haven't gone down this path a few times myself."

"Really?" Kevin looked at Sam in shock.

"You're not gonna tell Dad, are you?" Sam asked quickly.

"I would've by now if I was gonna," Dean pulled out what he was looking for, a bottle of liquor, and cracked it open. He drank some straight out of the bottle and pulled a face, like it was his personal responsibility to drink the whole thing before his dad got his hands on it. "Yep. That's the stuff."

"You're really okay with this?" Sam asked hesitantly.

"Do whoever you want," Dean started to walk towards his room with the bottle before turning back around. "Just keep the volume down. I don't need to hear it."

"My brother," Sam smiled fondly as the door slammed shut. "The most eloquent man in America."

"He should run for president," Kevin said thoughtfully. "You really talk about me?"

"Kinda hard not to," Sam sat back on the couch, wrapping his arm around Kevin's shoulder. "You are really something else." Kevin smiled and Sam continued running his fingers through his hair, which his new favorite thing to do with his hands.

.

Sam didn't realize how big his senior class was until he stood up at the podium in front of them. He didn't think he would be this nervous. After all, he had been preparing for this speech since he was in kindergarten. His first draft thanked dinosaurs for being so awesome. And yet, his hands were trembling and he already felt like he was forgetting the end of his speech.

He caught Kevin's gaze from the panel on the other side of the stage and he smiled and gave him a thumbs up. His gown was much too big on him and his tassel was dangling in front of his eyes. Sam had to stifle a laugh and, like that, his nerves were gone.

"Hello classmates," Sam began the speech. "My name is Sam Winchester, and I am your co-valedictorian. As we finally receive our high school diplomas, I would like for us to remember everything that we've been through to get to this point. The horrendous fingerprinting in preschool, learning cursive in third grade, those sweaty palms whenever we'd encounter someone good looking." He paused and looked at Kevin, who smiled back at him with a blush. "And, yeah, there are some days that we all want to go back in time and relive the glory days, or at least reinstate required nap times. But we've come so far from that point, and that's something to be proud of. We shouldn't look back. Instead, we should always remember to keep looking forward. I'd like to thank all of my teachers for believing in me, my brother, Dean, my co-valedictorian Kevin Tran, Principal Adler, and my father. Without them, I wouldn't be the man that I am today. Thank you." Applause echoed throughout the auditorium and Sam beamed.

"Hello, classmates," Kevin smiled after the applause died down. "My name's Kevin Tran, and I am your other co-valedictorian. Uh, before I start, I'd like to apologize to anyone that may be internally groaning at the idea of listening to another one of these speeches." There was some laughter in the crowd and Kevin paused before beginning his speech. "C.S. Lewis says that a proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you. School is all about competition. We're competing for the best test scores, the highest grades, the starting positions on a team, and a spot at the most prestigious colleges. For those of you that have never been in a class with Sam and me, we can get fairly competitive. I can't speak for him here, but I've always been rather proud of my grades. When I found out that our GPAs were tied, I felt a little scandalized. And then I looked up. In my case, this was both metaphorical and literal because Sam's almost a foot taller than me. And now I'm glad we get to share the honor and I've come away from the experience with a new friend. I'm sure that I will face more competition in my life, and so will everyone in this room. But it'll strengthen your resolve and shape you into a better person. I'd also like to thank my family, teacher, principal, and Sam Winchester. Thank you." Kevin also got a round of applause and the two returned to their seats.

Sam didn't know what would happen between him and Kevin. They would be attending schools on the opposing sides of the country. And the thought terrified him. But he had fought with Kevin for everything for six years; at this moment, he was sure that he could spend the rest of his life fighting for him.


End file.
